


Count to Ten

by fashionmodelbucky



Category: Captain America (Movies), Marvel Cinematic Universe
Genre: Fluff, M/M, Post-Captain America: The Winter Soldier
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-06-19
Updated: 2014-06-19
Packaged: 2018-02-05 08:29:07
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,183
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1811914
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/fashionmodelbucky/pseuds/fashionmodelbucky
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>It's Steve's birthday and he's looking forward to taking Bucky to the ice cream shop down the road. He does not expect to come home to a war zone in his apartment.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Count to Ten

**Author's Note:**

  * For [TheBearMuse](https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheBearMuse/gifts).



> So I attempted to make cupcakes with homemade frosting and all that for Father's Day. It didn't work out so well. Nancy suggested fluff. You can find me [here](http://www.fashionmodelbucky.tumblr.com) on Tumblr.

Steve comes back from his jog at three in the afternoon. It’s his birthday, the weather is beautiful and for once, he doesn't have to rush off and save anyone. He’s bobbing his head slightly to a beat only he can hear as he makes his way down the sidewalk to his apartment. In the months after Bucky’s shocking return and eventual recovery, Steve has found almost everything in his life to be at an all time high. He’s even managed to convince Bucky to move in with him. They share a two bedroom that has a fantastic view of the city at a decent rate but he thinks it’s only so cheap because he’s a national icon. 

Steve climbs the steps two at a time and waves to Mrs. Everlyn from down the hall and makes his way to the elevator. The halls are empty when he gets off on his floor and the light is bright and cheery. He wonders if Bucky would want to go get ice cream later. Steve still hasn't taken him to the old fashioned parlor down the street and he’s been meaning to. Steve has a whole list of things he wants to take Bucky to go do and see. As he nears his door, there’s a flurry of bangs and a string of angry, guttural Russian following closely behind it coming from within his apartment. Steve pauses with his hand at the doorknob for a moment, deciding that maybe today isn't an ice cream day after all before he opens the door and calls out to his best friend.

“Hey Buck! I’m back!” Another round of rapid Russian echoes through the room and Steve debates whether he should even bother taking his shoes off. The last time Bucky sounded this angry, Clint and Tony had managed to swap Bucky’s conditioner for hair bleach. Steve doesn't know how they did it. Bucky had only stopped swearing obscenities and death threats when Natasha took him in hand to a nearby salon to have it fixed. Now that Steve thinks about it, Bucky does still occasionally throw knives at them to keep them on their toes, he says. Steve nods to himself, opts to not take his shoes off and keeps moving forward.

“Shut up! Turn right back around and go for another run, Rogers. Call Stark and tell him you need a new kitchen!”

“A new kitch…..” Steve rounds the corner and stops at a standstill. He immediately bites his lip hard and surveys the disaster surrounding Bucky in their small kitchen. The pendulum lights are swinging gently above them, highlighting the liquid egg yolks scattered everywhere and Steve’s pretty sure that’s smoke trailing up from the ends of Bucky’s dark hair. The fridge or rather what used to be the fridge is laying on its side with a hole punched through the door with its contents leaking out all across the black tiled floor. He spots a large knife flung into a cabinet almost down to the hilt and there are several baking pans that look like they've been bent in half resting by Bucky’s bare feet. Steve’s eyes widen as they land on Bucky himself, leaning against the counter in black track pants and a blue tank top, both of which are covered with flour. Bucky is staring down at the floor as hard as he can with his arms crossed and he looks like he’s doing that count to ten thing that Bruce taught him. Steve does his best to hold in the laugh he feels bubbling up. He fails, and a small snort escapes out into the silence and Bucky’s head jerks up in a flash.

“So help me god, if you laugh at me, Stevie, I will throw you clear through the window and tell Natasha you’re the one that took that picture of her and Clint kissing.” Bucky’s glare is absolute, edges of the Winter Soldier peeking through. Steve slowly lifts his hand to his mouth and wonders if he should retreat. The gleam in Bucky’s blue eyes promise a painful, slow death if he sees even a hint of a smile but Steve can’t help it. His face splits with a wide grin and words come tumbling out of his mouth before he can stop them.

“I thought we had a deal about going to war together, Buck.” 

“I was trying to make you some god damned cupcakes! But Stark’s got all the appliances bewitched or something!” Bucky flails his arms wildly at the disaster around him and Steve’s eyes widen as he watches egg yolk drip off Bucky’s wrist to land on his bare foot. “Cupcakes! That’s all I wanted to make. But no, Stark has to have this ridiculously modern oven installed and of course, doesn't tell anyone how to work it. I try to turn the oven on and all these lights keep flashing at me and it catches my god damned hair on fire, Steve! On fire! I open the fridge and it starts shooting eggs at me. The fridge was shooting eggs! How?!” He sighs loudly and runs his nonmetal hand through his singed hair. Steve goes to open his mouth but Bucky isn't finished. 

“I turned on the water at the tap and the damned thing starts squirting water everywhere! Tony is laughing at me from somewhere watching all this! The oven literally flung baking pans at me! What was I supposed to do?

 

“It’s your birthday and I just wanted to make you something nice for once. Apparently, your kitchen thought otherwise,” he finishes with a dejected frown. Steve can’t help the warm feeling spreading in his chest and steps slowly through the mess toward his best friend. He reaches out cautiously, just in case Bucky still wants to swing on him and pulls Bucky in for a hug. Steve can feel the disappointment radiating off of Bucky in waves and gives him a squeeze. Bucky leans into the hug and wraps his arms around Steve’s waist.

“You know I don’t need cupcakes for my birthday right?” Steve says. Bucky grunts and tightens his grip a little more. Steve is still doing his best to hold in his laughter as he surveys the rest of the damaged kitchen. The hug seems to help Bucky though because soon enough, his shoulders are shaking and Steve can feel his quiet laugh rumbling through his chest. Bucky turns his face into Steve’s neck and Steve can feel him smiling against his skin.

“No, you don’t. You’re bigger than a damned barn anyway.”

“Say the man who has egg yolk on his foot.” Steve lets out an undignified squawk as Bucky’s cold metal hand slides across his face, leaving slimy liquid in its wake. Bucky steps away with one of those deep belly laughs that Steve loves so much with his head tossed back as he clutches his stomach.

“Now, it’s on your face.”

Steve counts it as a good birthday indeed if he gets to come home every day and hear Bucky laugh like that again.


End file.
